Commissioner

FRNSW officers recognised in Queens Birthday Honours List

I congratulate the FRNSW officers who were awarded the Australian Fire Service Medal, the highest specific fire service honour an Australian firefighter can receive, in the 2016 Queen's Birthday Honours List. This year's FRNSW AFSM recipients are Superintendent Alex Scott, Inspector Tim Fox, Station Officer Barry Cleary (Hamilton), Captain Chris Kane (Muswellbrook), and Captain Michael Brettschneider (Hillston). Each of the recipients of these prestigious awards have demonstrated exceptional levels of service and commitment to FRNSW and their local communities for many years. I congratulate them all on their well-deserved national recognition.

Wellbeing Workshop for Executive Officers

On Tuesday we held an Executive Officers Wellbeing Workshop which was facilitated through our Emergency Management Division, partnering with the Health and Safety Branch. The workshop aimed to support senior officers in their increasingly busy, complex and demanding roles by providing experienced speakers to facilitate discussion on how staff can support each other and also build both personal and group resilience.

Acting Deputy Commissioner Jim Hamilton opened the workshop (at short notice after I suffered a back injury – which is also the reason that CC is late) with Leading Firefighter Mark Dobson, Major Lyndsay Smith and our newly-appointed Occupational Psychologist Julie Pert supporting the event. Our two keynote speakers were Charmaine Bourke, an organisational psychologist who spoke about resilience, and Alan Sparkes, a former Police officer, spoke about his experiences with post-traumatic stress disorder. They both provided valuable information and insights into effectively managing the challenges that senior officers can face.

Operational Capability Framework drives operational improvement

Operational capability is our ability to deliver our services – firefighting, rescue, hazmat, incident management, community safety – when they are needed, for as long as they are needed. Delivering these services involves all of us. Front-line firefighters do their job effectively because FRNSW recruits the right people with the required training based on good policies and procedures; has effective organisation and incident command structures; communicates the right information; and has fire stations in the right place with well-maintained vehicles and equipment.

The newly released Operational Capability Framework provides us with a way of describing our services and all the inputs needed to deliver and continuously improve those services. This creates a framework to manage a capability lifecycle that includes reviewing, creating, implementing and eventually withdrawing (if necessary) specific capabilities. For example, implementation of our new flood rescue capability which we have used so effectively in recent events has involved buying equipment, writing policies and procedures, developing and delivering training, and reviewing command and communication procedures which were then rolled out to stations.

I encourage you to look at the Operational Capability Framework and think about how your work contributes to our ability to save lives and property. For more information, contact Capability Management Directorate.

Commissioner’s Safety Awards nominations now open

Nominations are now being accepted for the 2016 Commissioner's Safety Awards. These Awards recognise individuals and groups who demonstrate the safety ownership, leadership and values that reflect our safety culture.

Last year, all nominees had made significant safety improvements, leading by example and following through to ensure workplace safety. I know these are only the tip of the iceberg with many of you consistently demonstrating the safety values that make FRNSW a safer workplace. However maintaining a safe and healthy workforce is not always easy, and we need everyone to do their part, big or small, working together to keep both themselves and others safe.

Now is the time to recognise those individuals and groups who are doing just that. Please consider nominating yourself or someone else who you believe should be recognised for their achievements which improve or promote safety. The intranet (Toolkits > Organisation Wide > Workplace Safety > Safety Legislation and Guidance Material > Commissioner's Safety Awards) has details on the categories and how to nominate.

Home Fire Safety Check saves family in South Kempsey

In April, the crew of 345 Kempsey conducted a series of targeted Home Fire Safety Checks in West Street, South Kempsey. They were surprised at how many houses didn’t have smoke alarms and installed them for as many at-risk residents as possible. Just five weeks later, the crew responded to a house fire in the same street. Upon arrival they found a house well alight with the three occupants outside on the front lawn. Crews quickly brought the blaze under control and extinguished the fire, but unfortunately the house and contents were destroyed and the family dog was found deceased. The occupant reminded the crew that they had been there a few weeks earlier to install a smoke alarm. The fire had been started by a young child in a bedroom but thankfully her mother was alerted when the new smoke alarm activated, enabling her to get the two children safely out of the house.

Had the crew of 345 not conducted the Home Fire Safety Check, there could have been a tragic outcome. I congratulate Kempsey Captain Tony Hackenberg AFSM and his crew for their prevention efforts which ultimately saved the family’s lives. See the intranet story for more details.

The HFSC program was piloted in 2014 with the aim of engaging and educating targeted at-risk groups to prevent home fires and save lives. After consultation with the FBEU, the program was approved in March 2016 (SitRep 9/2016). For more information about conducting a HFSC deployment (including the corresponding Station Risk Profile tool), visit the intranet toolkit (Toolkits > Operational > Community Safety > Home Fire Safety Checks).

Winter fire safety materials now available

With the arrival of cooler temperatures over the past few weeks and a cold snap forecast this coming weekend, the FRNSW Community Safety and Media teams have issued a media release to warn NSW residents to take every precaution to avoid a fire in the home. On Thursday 2 June I appeared on The Daily Edition on Channel 7 to remind the public of the common risks and the preventative measures everyone should take. To support this messaging at a local level, materials are now available for stations in the updated winter fire safety toolkit. The toolkit includes a copy of the media release, a station template media release and talking points, links to the ReAlarm campaign and relevant links/factsheets, media clippings (including the Ch7 video) and a snapshot of results from the 2015 Winter Fire Safety Campaign. To access these resources, visit Toolkits > Operational > Community Safety > Winter Fire Safety.

The new Leading Firefighter selection process

We have now finalised the new tests which form part of the eligibility criteria for the next Leading Firefighter Program selection process. More information will soon be available on the Rank Progression and Promotion intranet page which will be updated to include the Progression to Leading Firefighter Selection Procedure and the Leading Firefighter Test FAQs to guide Senior Firefighters considering taking the tests. This page also sets out the operational areas covered in the knowledge test to assist Senior Firefighters in their preparation.

Eligible Senior Firefighters may request to take the Leading Firefighter Test at any time by email to LFApplication@fire.nsw.gov.au. The operational and psychometric tests will both be conducted online and whenever practicable, at the Senior Firefighter's own station/workplace. The tests will ordinarily be scheduled within four weeks of a request to take them, but this will depend on many factors, including the amount of notice provided and the availability of an observer.

If this affects you, keep an eye on the Rank Progression and Promotion intranet page; and if you want more information, send your questions to LFFeedback@fire.nsw.gov.au.

2016 Rotary Emergency Services Awards finalists announced

Congratulations to our four finalists in the second annual Rotary Emergency Services Community Awards announced a fortnight ago in a special function at Parliament House. Acting Deputy Commissioner Jim Hamilton represented me at this event as I was in Japan at the time. The FRNSW finalists were Leeton Captain Graham Parks, Bangalow Deputy Captain Melissa Madden, Bathurst Senior Firefighter Brad McWilliams and Chaplain Ron Jenkins, Assistant Captain Salvation Army, Hunter Region and former long serving Captain of Telarah (now Rutherford).

The awards recognise emergency services personnel for community service above and beyond the call of normal duty. More than 100 nominations were received from peers, superiors and the public with a panel of independent judges assessing nominees on community service, personal attributes and contribution to their organisation. One winner from each of NSW’s six emergency services, and one overall winner from both the volunteer and paid sectors, will be announced at an awards ceremony in July.

At Londonderry with FIRU for smoke alarm testing

On Thursday last week, I spent half a day at Londonderry with our Fire Investigation and Research Unit (FIRU), observing and taking part in the latest series of smoke alarm tests. We are committed to providing scientifically tested safety information to our community about the smoke alarms available on the market. There is still debate around ionisation versus photoelectric versus other configurations of smoke alarm, and we are aiming at making a clear determination through applied research. FIRU has worked steadily on generating a scientific body of evidence by carrying out multiple burns across a range of ignition scenarios, to produce solid findings that will inform our safety recommendations. In all, more than 80 burns will be performed, a huge undertaking.

The Australian Building Codes Board, CSIRO, and a number of universities are all very interested in this research and want to collaborate further with us. On my recent trip to Japan, I was proud to be told that we are seen as world leaders in this area of practical research. Our ‘Build It and Burn It’ program, where we use live fire scenarios to study fire behaviour, is recognised as cutting edge around the world and the Hong Kong Fire Services Department is very interested in partnering with us.

After watching the Londonderry tests, I'm very satisfied that the data they provide will influence building codes into the future and will help save many lives. Keep up the good work, FIRU.

Update on past use of firefighting foams

Over the past six months we have reviewed our past foam use to identify sites such as our training facilities that may have seen high usage of AFFF firefighting foams containing perfluorinated compounds (PFCs). In early 2016 the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) visited FRNSW training sites to undertake preliminary soil and water sampling. Results at Albion Park, Armidale, Londonderry and Deniliquin indicated the presence of perfluorooctane sulfanate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) pointing to the need for more extensive tests. Very low concentrates were found at Wellington, so the EPA considers it is not a priority for further investigation.

We have engaged environmental consultants GHD to undertake further investigation at these sites. GHD will review historical site usage data, FRNSW records, and statements from current and former staff regarding site usage, which may then be followed by more extensive soil and water testing. This investigation is expected to take approximately 12 weeks.

Agencies worldwide are working hard to understand the implications of PFCs, and I am equally committed. Despite there being very little reliable information available on possible health effects we are keeping a very open mind on this subject, but of course hope that ultimately research will allay concerns. FRNSW will continue to keep staff informed as our understanding develops.

Nominations invited for the NSW Volunteer of the Year Awards

The NSW Volunteer of the Year Award is an annual awards program that recognises the outstanding efforts of over two million volunteers in NSW, and promotes the importance of volunteering to the community.

This year the program celebrates its 10th anniversary, and I encourage the Zones to help promote the program by nominating CFU Volunteers. This is one way we can acknowledge the hard work and dedication of both individual CFU volunteers as well as entire CFU units in making NSW communities safer and better prepared for bushfires.

The CFU program has continued to expand, and there is now more than 600 units and more than 6,000 volunteer members across metropolitan and regional NSW. The CFU program provides training for local communities in basic hazard reduction, fire safety and prevention activities, and it increases the community’s knowledge of bushfire behaviour in their local area. If you want to nominate a deserving CFU member or CFU unit, please use this form or visit the Centre’s for Volunteering page for more information about the awards.

Invitation to join an Aboriginal Network group

The newly-formed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Advisory Council (ATSIAC) is now calling for EOIs from FRNSW Aboriginal staff who would like to join an Aboriginal Network group. This networking group will provide ATSIAC with advice, feedback and other information on Aboriginal issues and activities across the FRNSW community. If you want to be involved, please email your details to our Aboriginal Diversity Officer Craige Aldridge at craig.aldridge@fire.nsw.gov.au.

ReAlarm campaign survey – what did you think?

In 2016, FRNSW implemented the ReAlarm campaign to educate the public about the 10-year anniversary of smoke alarm legislation and the need to replace outdated alarms with photoelectric smoke alarms. The campaign was heavily promoted via social media, radio advertisements and with posters and brochures supplied to fire stations. Many stations also used last month’s Open Day to educate the public about smoke alarms and the need to ‘ReAlarm’. Although the ‘ReAlarm your home against fire’ message is ongoing, the paid campaign period has now finished and our Community Safety Directorate is seeking feedback to improve future home fire safety campaigns. Your feedback helps to ensure that campaigns are designed to reach the communities we serve. The survey takes about five minutes to complete and all feedback is greatly appreciated. Click here to complete the survey.

A sad farewell to Retired Deputy Commissioner John Benson AFSM

On Tuesday 14 June, I joined family, friends and former colleagues at the funeral of retired Deputy Commissioner John Benson who recently lost a long battle with illness. The moving service was conducted by John’s former mentor and colleague retired FRNSW Superintendent Bob Smith. In testament to John, the chapel was filled to overflowing with mourners spilling out onto the street against a backdrop of FRNSW appliances and firefighters in turnout gear. Senior officers from all of the other emergency services also attended.

In farewelling John, I spoke of his time with FRNSW, acknowledged his professionalism and dedication, and reminisced about our many years working together. In a final tribute, John was saluted by a guard of honour formed by FRNSW personnel alongside representatives of the NSW Police Force, Ambulance Service of NSW, NSWRFS, and SES. My condolences to John’s family and friends.

Smell of gas, or is it, in Tweed Heads

Just after 0830 hours on Friday 17 June, crews were called to reports of a smell of gas in the Kingscliff area in northern NSW. When crews arrived, they began investigating the area and conducting atmospheric monitoring to identify a possible source. Further calls came in with reports from the public of a smell of gas at a number of different locations around the area. The crews relocated a number of times trying to find the source. At one stage children from a school in the area were sent indoors as a precaution.

Crews from 347 Kingscliff, 514 Banora Point, and 468 Tweed Heads, including the Hazmat unit, were deployed to conduct atmospheric monitoring and provide a highly visible presence. Despite two hours of investigations, no abnormal readings were detected in any of the locations and no source was found. After reassurances that no gas was detected, local knowledge and experience suggested the smell may be from rotting seaweed and other vegetative matter that was drying out in the sun after the recent storm event.

The Zone Management Team proactively contacted the Media Unit to get help in providing local media with updates to inform the public and reduce repeat calls.

2nd Alarm Silverwater factory fire

Just after 0700 hours on Friday 17 June, numerous 000 calls were received to reports of a fire in a plastic factory on Vore St Silverwater. Due to the description of the fire by the callers, a 2nd Alarm was dispatched by FireComms. Crews from Silverwater, Lidcombe, Concord, Parramatta, Baulkham Hills and Duty Commander Parramatta were responded.

When the first crews arrived, they reported that there was a working fire on the 2nd level of a two level medium sized factory had, and confirmed the need for the 2nd Alarm. Command was established and crews went into the offensive strategy to try to rapidly contain the fire. A hose line was deployed from the outside to reduce the fire’s intensity prior to crew’s entering the building. Crews in SCBA entered the building and made their way to the second level were they began an internal attack. DC Parramatta arrived a short time later, and took over as Incident Commander, quickly establishing from radio reports that there was an “all-clear” for the building.

The fire was knocked down within about twenty minutes, but had the potential to escalate quickly from the upper office area into the main factory space. DC Parramatta praised the actions of the initial crews with their tactics and strategy proving to be very effective. A three-deep model was adopted with crews on deck and in staging to assist as required, and crews were recycled and rotated. The three workers in the building at the time of the fire safely self-evacuated. and reported hearing noises and losing power before noticing the fire in the upper level office area. Fire Investigators worked with Police and determined that the cause was accidental.

Q: I notice on some fire department social media sites that certain fire departments around the world promote their values within the station and on their appliances with stickers and other signs. It is my understanding that the only place FRNSW staff will find our values is within the intranet.

A: Thanks for your very important question. Posters stating the FRNSW values were sent to all stations and offices to be put in prominent positions. If you require additional posters, please contact the Media & Communications Unit on InternalComms@fire.nsw.gov.au

Q: What has FRNSW been doing to address the results of the Have Your Say Employee Engagement survey?

A: It has taken a bit of time for us to analyse the results of the Have Your Say Survey and determine the best ways to tackle the problem of increasing employee engagement. From this analysis we have identified the leadership attributes that front line staff believe help to build trust and engagement: an understanding of front-line issues, humility and a willingness to listen. The executive team and I have listened to this feedback. This year people from all areas of FRNSW were invited to attend the two day Emergency Management conference to share their current challenges and ideas for the future. By including and listening to our front-line staff we will continue to build a culture in which people, at all levels of the organisation, are supported, feel recognised for good work and are able to do what they do best every day. The Commissioner’s Participative Council and new Innovation Councils in various workplaces are another practical way of achieving engagement and unleashing ideas.

Our next step is to hold action planning groups with staff representatives from across all levels and areas. Earlier this year, I sought volunteers for these groups - thank you to those who volunteered to participate. The action plans formed by these groups will be presented to the Executive Leadership Team and communicated to all staff via email, intranet and through usual management channels.

For more information about employee engagement visit the intranet page http://intranet/haveyoursay or email the project team at EmployeeEngagement@fire.nsw.gov.au.

Commissioner's email: Commissioner@fire.nsw.gov.au

Sandra Garcia, EA to Commissioner: 9265 2930

Ask the Commissioner: OfficeOfTheCommissioner@fire.nsw.gov.au

To contribute a story, please contact the Media and Communications Unit: 9265 2907.